1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automotive component mounting and more specifically to fasteners therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of automotive vehicles, it is well known to locate components, particularly electronic components, in apertures formed in the instrument panel of the automotive vehicle. By agency of conventional fasteners, such as mounting screws, it is also known to provide a compartment or pocket within the instrument panel into which a component may be inserted for vertical support and that may be retained against lateral movement by mounting clips. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,550,944 and 4,660,789 are exemplary of such mounting approaches.
Disadvantageously, the prior art mounting schemes generally require the cooperative design of the component to be mounted and the instrument panel and associated compartment for receiving the component. For instances in which the component to be mounted does not conform to the generally box-like compartment provided in the instrument panel, it is desirable to provide a retaining assembly which will permit mounting of the component within the compartment without any significant modifications at the adjacent instrument panel structure. The laterally spaced mounting clips of the previously mentioned exemplary patents do not overcome this disadvantage since they provide no accommodation for vertically fixing a component with respect to the instrument panel.